QUETTA, Nov 11: The Balochistan government has decided to take extensive measures to maintain law and order in Quetta and other parts of the province during Muharram and ensure protection of life and property of people.

The decision was made at a meeting which reviewed the law and order situation in the province, particularly security arrangements for the holy month. Briefing the meeting, Home Secretary Akbar Durrani said that all eight districts where mourning processions would be taken out had been declared sensitive and strict security measures would be taken there.

He said 4,000 extra policemen, 25 platoons of Frontier Corps and 200 personnel of Levies Force and Balochistan Constabulary would be deployed in Quetta.

Security personnel would also be posted at Chiltan and Murdar mountains surrounding the city, he added.

Quetta had been divided in 16 sectors and army helicopters would monitor Ashura processions in the city, he said. An army battalion would remain alert during the processions, he added.

Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani presided over the meeting which was attended by Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasey, Home Minister Mir Zafarullah Zehri, ministers Syed Ehsan Shah, Abdul Rehman Mengal and Mir Asim Kurd, Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad, Frontier Corps IG Maj-Gen Obaidullah Khattak and IG of Balochistan police Omer Khattab.

CONSPIRACY: Mr Raisani said that under a conspiracy attempts were being made to destroy the law and order in the province.

He said the situation was not as bad as some quarters claimed, adding the law and order situation was worse in some other provinces as compared to Balochistan.

The chief minister said that nobody would be allowed to create a constitutional crisis in the province on the pretext of law and order issue.

He said that targeted killing, kidnapping for ransom and sectarian terrorism were a great challenge for Balochistan but he believed that security forces would crush the elements responsible for such acts.

“FC and police are (working) like a team and have the ability to take action against these forces,” he said.

He directed the law-enforcement agencies to conduct raids on the hideouts of terrorists and chase them till their arrest.

All resources at the disposal of the provincial government would be utilised to subdue the elements posing a threat to the life and property of people and ensure security during Muharram, the meeting decided.